Gyroplane



Fghi, 2938.

FIG. I

FiG.2

INVENTOR. EDWARD Es,\Am c=ori'-D ATTORNEY.

Feb. 1, 1938.

E. B. WILFORD YGYROPLANE Filed July 17, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.EDWARD B. WILFORD ATTORNEY.

' Patented F5. 1,193s I UNITED STATES ra'i'aurzorrica omormmn I Y,Edward'Bm-ke Wilford, Merlon, Pa. Application July 17, 193:, No. 680,095

3 claims. (or. 24H) This invention relates to gyroplanes andparticularly to aircraft having rotating wing sysi of 'con'trollabilityfor securing moments about the longitudinal and lateral axes of theair-' craft, at the will of the pilot. 1

This invention constitutes, in part at least,,an improvement uponRieseler and Kreiser applica tion-Ber. No. 479,037, filed August so,1930. In that application there was disclosed a rotary system in whichopposite blades were coupled on an oscillatable shaft, with springsarranged for damping and limiting the oscillations of the shaft andcoupled blades and for variably setting the spring loadings, so as tosecure desired control moments. Changing the compressible springs forsubstituted substantially inelastic links (or overloading the springsbeyond the loads of torque) among other changes, secured unexpected anddesirable improvements in operation of the control system. j It has beennecessary-with other types of rotary wing aircraft to provide a smallwing as the sustaining element of ailerons or similar control surfacesby which control of the aircraft was secured, as no practical controlwas, prior to my invention, heretofore derivable from the rotor itself.The small wing was also used to assume small portions of the load so asto keep the rotative speed fairly constant under varying condi 3o tions.It is a fundamental advancein aircraftand an object of this invention tocouple the controlling system of the rotary wing system with movablecontrol surfaces and with the ordinary control mechanism, whether stick,wheel, or the like, so that synchronlzation'of control between therotor, and/or ailerons, and/or elevators is achieved. I

In a co-pending application there is set forth a description of anaircraft in which a rotary fixed wing system, in such manner that therotor canbe unloadedf, with the load taken from the rotor and-carried onthe'nxed wing,

Dermittingthe rotor. to decelerate or stop,. and therefore sharplyreducing its drag, so that the ,efllciency is substantially that of anyconventional fixed .wing type of aircraft at cruising andloading of thefixed wing, and the loading" tems which are normally aerodynamicallydriven,

wing system is combined in an aircraft with a of the rotor, so that .itcarries the major load as the fixed wing vis unloaded, among otherreasons, because of the conjoint control described and claimed herein.The important element to be noted being that the change from loading 5to unloading is smooth and even, and with the control system describedherein, the control action should be and is, smooth and even, "with nounhooking from one system before engaging another. The use of onesystem, does not handi- 1o cap the use 'of the other..

It is a further object of the invention to provide .a rotor controlsystem for rotary 'wing aircraft in which the control system is sodisposed as to cause oscillation of the shaft carrying the blades insuch predetermined angular degree and I with-such turning assubstantially coincides with the-normal aerodynamic oscillation of saidshaft, by unbalance of opposing torques from such,

blades, and is attained without placing any great 2 load on the manualcontrol part.

Another object of the invention lies in predeterminedly disposing thecontrol system with the I rotating wing system in such manner that thegyroscopic moment in precession is compensated for to secure a desiredangularly disposed aerodynamic moment.

Another object of the invention is to provide 1 rotor control in variousdifferent sorts of rotary wing systemsand to combine broadly any rotorcontrol system withconventional standard controls with beneficialresults.

A further object is to provide control in the rotary wing-systems havingvarious forms of articulated blades.

The invention contemplates many other objects and advantages which willbecome more a parent as the description proceeds.

-In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary diagrammatic 40 plan of an aircraftconstructed in accordance with this invention; I

Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic side eleva tion partially in section ofthe aircraft of Fig. 1,

Fig 3-represents a fragmentary plan partially in section of anillustrative form of the invention,

' Fig. 4 represents avfragmentary diagrammatic elevation partially in]section -of the illustrative form of invention shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5represents a detail of the eccentrically movable control element. of thepreferred form tion partially in elevation in dotted lines to show adetail of the control mechanism,

Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary detail of the device of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary plan of a modified form of invention,

Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary elevation of the same partially insection,

Fig. 10 represents a fragmentary plan, partially in section of a furthermodified form of invention,

Fig. 11 represents a fragmentary elevation partially in section, of thedevice of Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 represents a fragmentary detail of the device of Fig. 10,

Fig. 13 represents a fragmentary elevation of a still furthermodification,

Fig. 14 represents a diagrammatic disclosure of the coupling andsynchronization of the rotor control system, the ailerons and elevatorof the aircraft, I

Fig. 15 represents a diagrammatic illustration of the setting of therotor control device to compensate for errors otherwise attaching to themoment of precession of the rotor,

Figs. 16 to 22 represent diagrammatic plans of modified multi-bladedrotors with which the "in- 'stant invention may be operativelyassociated.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 there is provided an aircraft comprising afuselage 20 having in the empenage a vertical fin 2| and rotor 22,horizontal stabilizing fin 23 and elevator 24 which for general purposesmay be of ordinary and conventional construction. A tail skid or wheel25 attaches to the fuselage 20. The fuselage is provided with a wing 26extending laterally on each side thereof and provided wlthleft sideaileron 21 and right side aileron 28. A power plant 30 and propeller 3|of any desired construction are suitably mounted on the fuselage. Alanding gear 32 is arranged to support the aircraft on the. ground, bycooperating with the tail skid or wheel 25.

As an essential part of the aircraft assembly there is provided arotatable mast 33 carrying a rotating wing system of any desired sortbut preferably as disclosed herein in Figs. 1 and 2, or as shown inFigs. 8, 9, 10, 11, or 13, or as indicated diagrammatically in any ofthe several figures of the group shown in Figs. 16 to 22'incluslve. For.purposes of illustration and description the rotary wing system ispreferably of the four bladed type such as is disclosed, for instance,in Rieseler and Kreiser 'Reissue Patent 'No. 18,358. It' is contemplatedthat the rotary wing system may comprise an uneven number of blades,such as 3, or 5, and the like, as more particularly described in acompanion case about to be filed, as well as those of the even number ofblades such as 2, or 4, or the like. For purposes of this specificationone related pair of blades will be considered as typical.

i Thus in Fig. 1 a shaft 34 is journalled in bearings 35 suitablymounted upon the rotatablemast 33 and carries blades 36 and 31 whichpreferably are each so disposed that their center of pres-'- sure liesbehind theaxis of oscillation, which in Fig. '1 is the axis of shaft 34,in the direction of rotation of the blades shown by the arrow in Fig.-1. The shaft 34 carries at least one horn or lug 38 to which controlmechanism, to be described, is attached for controlling the bladeposition. i

In this connection it will be clear that the blades 36 and 31 of Fig. 1in their relation to shaft 34 and to the bearings 35 may be supersededby the several modifications of two bladed rotors disclosed in thedrawings and specifically by certain of the illustrated modifications asfollows: In Fig. 16 the shaft 40 having operating lug M has the sweptback blades 42 and 43 rigidly mounted on shaft 40 at any desired anglebetween 0 and 90 so that oscillation of shaft 40 involves a combinationof feathering of blades 42 and 43, as well as a flapping of said bladesso that the blades change the r angle to the horizontal in response tothe shaft oscillation. It will be clear that in the disclosure of Fig.16-the center of pressure of each blade is behind the axis of shaft 40so as to impose opposite torque on shaft 40 in a manner similar to thedisclosure of Fig. 1. Fig. 17 provides a shaft 44 having operating horn45 and the staggered blades 46 and 41 disposed so that theirlongitudinal axes are parallel to shaft 44 but are out of alignmenttherewith. In Fig. 20 there is disclosed a single tilting blade 48pivoted on an axis 50 and controlled in its flap by means of its controlarm or horn 5| so that flapping of the blade 48 about the axis 5|] canbe controlled. This axis 50 can be angularly 'askew if desired. Fig. 21discloses a similar flapping blade 52 mounted upon an axis 53longitudinal of the tilting blade and having a controlling horn 54. Astypifying a further type of modification the disclosure of Fig. 19 maybe used with the disclosure of 'Fig. 1, in that a shaft 55 rigidlycarries blades 56 and 51 which are rigidly mounted against oscillationon the axis 55, and change their effective lift solely in response tothe angular positioning of the respective ailerons 58 and 60. A controlhorn 59 is provided for swinging the ailerons. A further modification ofthe device of Fig. 19 is found in Fig. 18, in that blades 56' and 51'are journalled for rotation on shaft 55', in response to change of angleof ailerons 58' andtll' through actuation of control horn or lug 59'.Similarly the device of Fig. 20 may be further modified by providing theblade 48 on axis 50, either perpendicular to the longitudinal axis asshown, or angularly divergent therefrom, and having ailerons 3S and 49controlled by the horn 5|, as shown in Fig. 22.-

It will be understood that with these several forms of blades and rotorassemblies there have ing the rotatable disposition of the mast 33relative to the fixed tube 6|. The fixedtube 6| is out opt at the lowerend as at 63 to permit the control elements, to be described, to enter,and

at the upper end is closed by a suitably apertured, 'v

plug 64. The plug 64 is locked to tube 6| by means permitting rotativeadjustment, as by means of a suitable plug selectively engaging oneupstanding arms 65 which, as shown in Fig. 5 r

- their upper ends to abut the top surface of the support a pivotedgudgeon block 81 upon which a cap or closure 88- is journalled andobviously arranged for universal movement through proper tilt of thegudgeon block-61 and of the cap 58. The upper part of the cap 88 carriesa shaft 10 upon which a control ball H is rotatably mounted. Cap 68 andplug 84 have each four sets of registering openings as 12, 13, 14 andY10. These openings are diametrically disposed for attachment ofcontroldevices to be disclosed. Oneset of openings has links 18 and 11extending through them and the latter have threaded nuts 18 at cap 88,and extend downwardly to pivotal connection with a bell crank lever 80'pivoted on a laterally extending axis 8i, and movable by means of'thedepending arm 82, to which the horizontal link 83 is pivotally connectedand which latter is in turn pivotedto the manual control element 84. Themanual control in its simplest form comprises a conventional other formof control such as is common in the art may equally well be utilized inthe connection. The fore and aft shiftable link 83 enters tube 5ithrough opening 53. Lateral control links and 83- after crossing arerespectively connected through the lateral registering open ings withthe cap 68 at the top, and are piv-' otally connected m the rock shaftlever 81 rigidly carried on rock shaft 88 journalled at 80 and SI andconnected to the stick 84 for lateral control movements. The rock shaft88 may carry a horn or arm 92 to which control mechanism for aileronsand the like may be pivotally mounted as will be later described. Itwill be observed also that in the preferred form, as shown in Fig. v

4, link03-is pivotally connected to'the" control stick 84 for attachmentto the elevator of the similar short shaft v88 as 7 link I05 connectsthereto.

aircraft.

Rigidly mounted are the struts and bracing arms 34 carrying the bearings95 in which the short sleeved shaft 96' is rotatably disposed. Thisshaft has an enlarged central opening 91aifording clearance from a maybe necessary when the shafts carrying the blades all lie in the sameplane.- Axially slidable in the sleeve shaft 85 are the blades I00 andIOI of any of the pairs of blades shown in the preferred or modifiedforms. The blade shafts I00 and IM and the sleeve, 95 will eachhavetransverse openings in registration to receive the laterally insertablebolt or stud I02, which anchors the blades securely to the shaft andalso furnishes a stud or extension I03 laterally ofthe sleeve shaft towhich a link I04 is. pivotally connected; Similar mechanism is providedfor shaft I00 so that a The vertical links I04 and I05 connectrespectively to arms I08 and I01 mounted in turn on transverse shaftsI08 and H0, respectively, journalled upon the .braces 84. Vertical armsIII and H2 connect rock; shafts I08 and I I0 respectively with oppositelinks H3 and II4 abutting the ball 1| It I I be clear that desiredmovements of the stick 84 will,

' through bell crank 80 transmit desired movements to the control ball1| and will impart. movements to the respecidentical but opposite tivevertical links I04 and I05 to control the oscillations of the sleeve 85.

It is not considered essential to describe in detail the controlmechanismv responsive to the.

lateral control or movement of the ball 1I other than to mention lateralcontrol links H5 and -I I8, coupled tliei invention a tatable stic butany -the axes of which are preferably planes.

or blades (not shown).v

upon the rotatable mast 33.

stantially perpendicular coupled by a suitable cross pin I35.

' are different distances from slee've shaft 88 as will be clear.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9 the arrangementcontemplates a plurality of blades, preferably to arranged with theircoupling shafts disposed in vertically spaced and in non-intersectingrelation.' In this for-moi fixed tubular. elenient' II1 supports anupper closure cap H8 vof a construction quite similar to that of cap 84in Figs. 3, e'and 5, but the universally mounted element comprises theinner or relatively stationary member of a ball race I20. The lattercarries ball bearings IN and complemental rotatable race element I22. Itwill be understood that'thesame control mechanism aspheretofore.described .will be available to adjust the angular disposition of therorace member I22, including the. vertical links 16, I1 and 85,85. I

A housing I23 is provided with suitable bearings and journals as torotatably support a lower sleeve shaft I24 and arr-upper sleevesubstantially perpendicular but in parallel spaced horizontal Eachsleeve is preferably arranged to removably receive the stub shafts I23of wings The blade shafts are anchored in the sleeves by means ofremovable bolts I21 orthe like. The bolts I21 are preferably adjustablerelative to the sleeve shafts I24 and I25 or'relative to the stub-shaftsI25, so that the relation of wings or blades can be varied if desired.Rigidly attached to the sleeve shaft I24 is the depending arm- I28. Asimilar, but

the operating control system respon'sive durin rotation to the angularpositioning of the-race element or member I22, through connections aboutto be described. A radially extending shaft I3I is suitably journalledin the housing I23 in parallel spaced relation to the sleeve shaft, I24,and at its inner end rigidly carries the arcuate lever arm I32, pivotedat I33 to the rotatable race member I22, by means of a radial pin I34sub- The outer end of-the radial shaft'\I8I carries a short dependingarm I35. Arms I35 and I28'are As arms I35 and I28 swing on eccentricaxes, suitable lost a play is provided to enable them to swingsimultaneously without binding. A radial shaft I31, similar but normaltoshaft .I3I. is arranged to oscillate in the housing I23, and its innerend connects with an arcuate leverarm member I22. While shafts "I andI31 have axes which lie in the same substantially horizontal plane, thesleeve shafts to be controlled this plane 'so'th'at a longer dependingarm I30 is provided on the upper sleeve shaft I25, and is coupled withsuitable lost motion devices to a longer depending arm I30 carriedoutwardly of shaft I31, so that for the same vertical movement oftheipivot points I40 and I33, (the control points for the arcuate leverarms) there 'is imparted. the'same oscillation to the respective sleevesh'afts I24 and'i25, despite their vertical spacing;

Referring to Figs. '10, 11 and 12, th'ere is disclosed a type of rotoror rotary wing system in which independent articulated blades arebrought through similar mechanisms with shaft 25.

to the axis of shaft I8I-.

55. I38, similarly pivoted at I40 tothe' rotatable race into thesynchronous control system of this inblade,

also angularly divergent from'a plane containing a lateral or transverseaxis. It illustrates the feature of an oblique or askew articulation tohave the pivot pin opening I82 in the lug I8I have its axis lying in thefore and aft plane of the cooked in but one plane instead of two. Thelug I8 I -is disposed between hub lugs or cheeks I83 and I84 to which itis hinged by a pivot pin I65. 'I'hecheeks I88 and I64 are substantiallyparallel to tangents oi the vertical axis of mast I66 and of therotatable hub I81. Blade or wing I68 is similarly provided with lug I18,connected by pivot pin "I to the lugsjI12 and I18.

It may be assumed that a universally oscillatable ball I14, controlledthrough the links already described,-will have compound links connectingthe control ball I14 with horns rigid with the respective blades, as I15and I16. The compound links are comprised of part I11 carried hingedlywith the ball I14 and having a shoulder I18 and a reduced extension I88upon which a sleeve link I8I is slidable through the pin'and slotconnection I18. As the blades both flap and feather as they swing ontheir-respective axes allowance has to be made for their rising underload and during flapping. The same coupled control is available tosynchronize directed rolling and pitching moments with those from theconventional control surfaces.

In Fig. 13 there is disclosed another system arranged for coupling intothe system. The rotatable hub I82, journalled on mast I83, hasarticulated blades I84. The gimbal suspension I85 supports the mast I83relative to a fixed wing I86, and the angle of the mast I83 relative tothe vertical can be varied and controlled by the links alreadydescribed. The shifting axis of rotation is a method of securing desiredrolling' and pitching moments, as will be clear.

It will be clear that the structure of Figs. 8 and 9 represents a systemfor coordinating and synchronizing several blades so that apredetermined but obviously variable cycle of oscillations is secured.It will be noted further that the control system represents means forsecuring coordinated and synchronized control of a plurality ofnoncoincidental non-intersecting shafts, which is available forcontroloi an odd number of blades and shafts as well as the even numberdisclosed. This latter application of the invention is being made thesubject matter of a patent application now in preparation.

It will be understood the control ball ,1I or of that the relationshipof its equivalents including the rotatable race member I22, to thecontrol.

stick 84 and its equivalents, will be a matter of rigging and choice as'to whether sition of ball 1-I finds the stick 84 in concentric oreccentric relation to the vertical. It is of in-.

terest only to know that with the average normal use of the aircraft inforward flight, there will be an aerodynamic urge to oscillate theshafts periodically to feather or otherwise change the attitudes of therespective blades or wings so as to equalize the eil'ective lifts onopposite sides of the substantially vertical axis of mast 33. This cycleoi oscillations duringrotationof the wing system will result inaerodynamically developed torque on the shafts developing lateral thruston the ball H to move it to a position of eccentricity. The eccentricityvaries according to the forward speed, and in vertical'descent, with noforward speed, will bench-existent. Therefore it canand thus to beangularly divergent 0r 'ment on the line of axis a concentric poleversI48 and m.

not be predisposed in such manner as to suit all conditions, but onlynormal average conditions.

There is another factor of considerable interest in devices 01 this typeaffecting the control available from the system. This is the factor oigyroscopic action of the rotating system. The pre- 'cessional momentdeveloped in actuating the controls'to secure a desired moment about anyhorizontal axis ofthe ship frequently is manitested by the resultantmoment being about an axis angularly divergent from that contemplated.In other words "lead" must be given to turn the moment in precession togood account. Referring to Fig. 15, there is a diagrammatic disclosureof the longitudinal axis HI, and of the lateral axis I42. With the wingsystem rotating in the direction of the arrow, it will be clear that itthe effective lift were to be placed on the fore and aft axis I4Idirectly, the resultant movement would be a disposition of the liftmoment on an axis angularly spaced behind the fore and aft orlongitudinal axis I 4| If the 'eiiective lift were placed on an axis I43angularly in advance of the longitudinal axis upon which the resultantis to be efi'ective, in the direction of rotation, it will be clear thatif the lead coincides with the precessional lead, the result will be theutilization'of the heretofore deplored precessional moment to asatisfactory and 'eflicient purpose and the securing of the exactcontrolling moment desired. It will be clear that a similar lead as byan axis I44 can be given for the lateral axis of the aircraft. To.secure this happy result, my invention contemplates an angular change inthe relationship of the control device 84, and the ball II or its equivalents. Specifically the apertured plug 84, (Fig. 5), or I I8, (Fig. 9),is rotated aboutthe vertical axis so that the links 16, 11, 85 and 86are each angularly inclined relative to the vertical, in the forms ofinventions shown herein. The result, however secured, is that a directfore and aft movement of the control stick 84 does not have a directfore. and aft movement of the control member 1| or I22, but has acontrol member movement in a plane angularly divergent from the fore andaft. Thus, specifically, the control stick move- I4I of Fig. 15, resultsin a control member movement in the line of axis I48.

It will be recognized that through the system of links and leversdisclosed, a given movement of the control stick 84 or its equivalentresults in a positive oscillation of a control sleeve of the rotary Wingsystem, and a given change in the attitude of the coupled blades. It isa feature of importance that the control system under consideration, asshown in Fig. 14, is coupled with the ailerons and empenage controlsurfaces in a synchronous system of efficient and rapid control. Thelink 83,plvoted at the rear of the controlstick 84, and movable in afore and aft line with the control device 84, may be pivotally connectedto the depending horn I45 mounted on the elevator surface 24, andarranged to oscillate the elevator 24 in synchronism with the fore andaft adjustments of the control ball H or control race member I22.Similarly the horn 82 mounted for oscillation with the shaft 88controlled by the member 84 'has pivotally attached laterally extendinglinks respectively I48 and I41, which latter are respectively connectedwith bell crank Bell crank lever I48 has a mu; iSI engaging horn I52mounted on aileron 28. Bell crank lever I88 has a link I88 engagingahorn I54 mountqi on aileron 21. It will be clear spective controlsurfaces 24, 21 and 28 can be predeterminedly proportioned relative tothe degree v of movement of the oscillatable control devices in 4 therotor control system, so that any desired conwardlroffset therefrom, andcontrol moving said blade on and relative to the axis of.

trolling action can be secured. The lengths of the respective hornsdetermine the order of magnitude of controlling actions. It will beunderstood that in the usual situation it will be necessary to have butsmall controlling actions in the rotary wing system, as a few degrees ofmovement therein secures appreciable changes in turning moments, whilethe action of ailerons and elevators may be of greater or smallermagnitude as desired, It will further be clear that the aileron controland the elevator control may be separately coupled with the rotary wingsystem, in place of the joint coupling in the illustrative disclosure ofthis application. 7

In the'preferred embodiment of the invention, the central hub and theworking elements, controls, etc., are all felted in by a substantiallystream-lined housing 98. A

I claim as my invention: I 1. In aircraft, a normally aerodynamicallydriven rotary wing system comprising a hub, a shaft having an axis andjournalled diametrically on said him, a blade having a longitudinal axismountedon said shaft with its longitudinal axis substantially parallelwith said shaft but -rearmeans'for the diametrically d sp sed shaft.

2. In aircraft, a normally aerodynamically' driven=rotary wing systemcomprising a hub, a

shaft journalled in the hub, blades on said shaft on opposite endsthereof, a second shaft journailed on the hub intersecting asubstantially vertical plane containing the axis ofthe first shaft .butwith its axis lying in a substantially horizontal plane in substantiallyparallel spaced relation to a substantially horizontal plane containingsaid first mentioned aids, blades on the second mentioned shaft at theends thereof, control means operative on each shaft to change the angleof incidence of each pair of blades in synchronism during rota- .tion ofthe hub.

operative on each shaft to change the angle of incidence of each pair ofblades in synchronism during rotation of the hub, said control meanscomprisinga universally movable member within the hub, arms engaging themember to have their engaged ends move during rotation, and meansengaging the respective arms and engaging the respective shafts tosecure oscillation of the respective shafts." v

WARD BQRKE WILFORD.

